Amazing Airplanes!

Aircraft fascinate children because it seems magical, the way they can fly through the air. This week we are going to discuss how aircraft can fly and even make some special flying craft of our own!

CIRCLE TIME:

Begin the week by playing "Guess Who I Am?".  Tell the kids that you are someone who travels all over the world all the time, you can see the tops of skyscrapers while at work, you have to take off and land your vehicle, and you cruise next to birds.
See if they can tell that you are a pilot!

Airplanes are vehicles that can fly in the air, like birds! There are people with special skills who fly the airplanes, they are called pilots. There are many different types of airplanes. There are small planes which can only carry a couple of people and some bags and boxes, there are very large planes which can carry a bunch of people, kind of like a bus in the sky. There are planes that the pilot can make do fancy tricks. There are even planes that have special pontoons that allow them to land on water!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tNSD8OCR1kg  Click the link to see the short youtube video of some super amazing trick flying! (there is an advertisement prior to the video so you may want to cue it up!)

READING

http://www.starfall.com/n/level-a/learn-to-read/load.htm?f  This week on Starfall, please watch the "Left to Right" movie on the right side column!

It is important to learn that reading always goes from left to right!

You may also want to review the "an, at" reading lesson again this week! We will be moving on to the short "e" sound next week.

http://www.readingbear.org/  Review the short "a" lesson again!

Complete the "Letter A" worksheet from Education.com. A great review of the letter A sound...
http://www.education.com/worksheet/article/coloring-learn-letter-a/

SCIENCE

Paper Airplane Flying

Now, this is not my area of expertise! As we all know, when we are teaching kids you will always come across subjects and material that you are not an expert at. This is definitely one of mine! That is ok, because there are some amazing websites out there to help us out!

http://www.10paperairplanes.com/  Click the link to take you a site that has 10 different types of paper airplane and how to make them. Step by step. With pictures! A lifesaver!

You may wish to pre-fold several for your class. Or maybe you want to let your class make their own. That is up to you!

How airplanes fly: The way airplanes fly is by airflow over and under their wings. When the plane moves through the air, which is always all around us, the wing cuts the air in half. Some air flows over the wing, some flows under the wing. Airplane wings are rounded on the top side and flat on the bottom side. The rounded surface on top causes the air that flows under the flat side of the wing to hold the wing up, due to pressure. There is more pressure under the wing, which causes the wing to lift as it speeds through the air.

*Ask the kids to spread out so there is room enough between them to spread their arms out wide. Turn in circles and feel the air pressure moving past their arms.

Hold up a building block. Do you think this will fly? Why or why not? Drop the block. What happened?

Hold up an un-folded piece of paper. Will this fly? Why or why not? Drop the paper. What happened?

Look at the paper planes. Will these fly? Why?

Allow the kids to try flying the planes. What happened? The planes will glide gently to the floor, due to the pressure created by the wings moving through the air.

What are some other things that can fly, or glide?



MATH

Shape Airplanes

You will need:
Several colors of construction paper
Scissors
Glue Sticks


Cut out 1 large triangle for the nose, and 1 smaller triangle for the tail. Cut a large, fat rectangle for the body and a long skinny rectangle for the wing. Cut out 2 small circles for the tires. Cut out a few small squares for windows. 

Lay the shapes out in front of the kiddos. You could use this as scissor practice!  Have them identify the shapes and sort them into similar piles. Provide them with a clean sheet of construction paper and a glue stick. See if they can construct the plane by following your example!



Airplane Counting

Simple Graph  Print the graph.

Get some airplane stickers or cut out some airplanes from the internet. Write 1-5 down the left side of the graph. The idea is for the kids to place the number of planes on the right side to match the number written on the left side!

MOTOR SKILLS

Gross Motor - Act Like Airplanes

This is pretty self-explanatory. Put on some "Flight of the Valkyries" and let the kids runs around the room flying like an airplane!

Fine Motor - Scissor Practice

If you didn't have the kids cut out the shapes for the Shape Airplanes above, then have them practice on the worksheet below...

http://www.dltk-kids.com/t.asp?b=m&t=http://www.dltk-kids.com/crafts/miscellaneous/posters/cstraight-kites.gif

COMMUNITY

Pilot

What is a pilot? Pilots are the people who fly (or drive) airplanes. You have to go to a special school to be trained on how to fly a plane. Most pilots fly people or cargo from place to place. It is a very interesting job because they get to travel and see much of the world!

Pilots must be very careful about checking their airplanes before they take off in them. If any of the equipment fails while in the air, it could be very dangerous. So pilots have to be very cautious and observant.

Pilots are responsible for the safety of all the people who are passengers on their flight.

BOOKS

http://www.amazon.com/Little-Airplane-Lois-Lenski-Books/dp/037581079X/ref=cm_lmf_tit_5

Mr. Small is a high-flying pilot in this adventure! Pilot Small prepares for his flight, and then enjoys the bird’s-eye view from above. As fresh today as when it was first published, this fun and informative look at flying is perfect for airplane trips.

http://www.amazon.com/Airplanes-Flying-Machines-First-Discovery/dp/0590452673/ref=cm_lmf_tit_9

Colorful drawings of airplanes and other flying machines show young readers the inside and outside of these amazing machines, including the wings, engine, and tail and the cockpit and passenger cabin.

MUSIC

I'm A Little Airplane

I'm a little airplane

Now watch me fly!
Here are my instruments
from down low to up high.
First I get all revved up
Then I can fly.
Lifting off the runway
And up into the sky!











ART/CRAFT

Art - Airplane Color Page

Print the color sheet from this link: http://www.free-coloring-pages.com/pages/airc010.html

Allow the kiddos to color or paint however they please!


Craft - Popsicle Stick Airplanes

There are TONS of different versions of this craft. The one I like (and that I think pre-schoolers can do) is this:

You will need:

Popsicle sticks
Clothespins
Elmer's School Glue
Paint or markers
Craft foam (if you want to add that bit on the tail)

Allow the kids to paint or color their pieces and set them out to dry. Then, glue one stick to the bottom side of the clothespin on the end that opens. Glue another to the top to make a bi-plane. Glue another to the top of the end that you squeeze. Add the tail fin, if you wish. Let the glue dry.

Once these are done, the kids will have so much fun playing with their creations!



COOKING

Graham Cracker Airplanes

Ingredients:
Large graham cracker rectangles
Frosting or peanut butter
Cheerios

Use a large rectangle for the body of the plane. Place a couple of small rectangles across the body to make the wings. Secure with the frosting. Use Cheerios to make windows down the side of the body. Yum!

Fall! A Very Colorful Season

Fall is my favorite time of year! I love when the weather turns cooler (not cold here in South Texas, unfortunately...I grew up in Colorado so I miss that!) and the leaves on the trees begin to turn to pretty colors. I love the holidays, too! Halloween is so much fun, Thanksgiving is such a wonderful celebration, and my wedding anniversary and birthday is in Fall, also. In a nutshell, fall is awesome!

CIRCLE TIME

Fall (or Autumn) is the season which comes after summer and before winter. It is the time of year, for those of us in the northern hemisphere, when hot, sunny days give way to cooler, rainy, windy ones. The plants, trees and flowers that were growing so nicely will begin to change colors and go to "sleep". Birds and squirrels that were so busy during the summer will begin to store up food so they can make it through the winter. It is also the time when many farmers begin the Harvest. This means that the fruits and vegetables that have been growing all summer are now ready to be picked!

Fall Poem:

Red and yellow, green and brown.
count off colors on fingers
Leaves are falling to the ground.
simulate falling leaves with hands
We pile them up OH SO HIGH:
'pile' leaves with hands
Then we JUMP in!
pretend to jump in
 My friends and I!

BOOKS



http://www.amazon.com/Now-Fall-Lois-Lenski-Books/dp/0375810692

A sweet book that talks about the changes that come during fall!



http://www.amazon.com/Let-It-Fall-Maryann-Cocca-Leffler/dp/0545208793/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_y

The rhymes in this book help to keep the kid's attention as you read about all the fall awesome-ness!

SCRIPTURE



Harvest Puzzle
Print out the puzzle and cut on the dotted lines, or make this a scissor practice activity. Glue the puzzle to another piece of paper for display! This is a simple 6 piece puzzle for young children!

Define Harvest Time:  Show the children several different kinds of vegetable or fruit seeds, then explain that they need soil, sun, and rain to grow. Explain to children that the next time it rains, they can thank God for giving plants something they need in order to provide us with food. Explain that when fruits and vegetables are fully grown, they're harvested or picked. This is a time for thanking God for taking care of us.

Psalms 126:6 He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.

SCIENCE
 

Exploring Acorns!

Acorns are abundant around my house this time of year. I have some huge oak trees on my property. If you do not have them available to pick up off the ground, you can buy them at craft stores!

          You will need:

Lots of acorns

A small kitchen scale

One large and several smaller bowls

A mallet

Magnifying glass

Container with water

We are going to find out as much as we can about these little acorns! Acorns are a nut that grows on Oak trees. Squirrels love to eat them! During the Autumn months, the oak trees will drop all of their acorns onto the ground. Many of them will be dug up and eaten by animals, but some will get buried in the dirt and begin to sprout! This is how new oak trees are born.

Engaging in Scientific Discovery is even more fun if you dress the kids up in little aprons!

Set up a low table with all of the above items. Place the whole lot of acorns in the big bowl. Have the kiddos perform these experiments:

1. Weigh Them:  first weigh one, then a couple of them. Are they heavy or light?

2. Sort Them: you probably have some that are very small, some that are medium, and some that are really big! Sort them into the 3 little bowls.

3. Use the mallet to crush a couple of them. Poke around inside and see what is in there.

4. Use a magnifying glass to examine a whole one and also one that is broken. What do you see?

5. Do you think they will float? Put some in the water and find out!

MATH

Fall Object Sorting

Gather actual fall objects from your yard or a park. OR, if you don't have access to any, you can use pictures printed off the internet!

Collect:
leaves
twigs
acorns
pine needles
pine cones
mini pumpkins (I don't have these in my yard, but my grocer has them)
Indian corn (same as above)

Make picture cards with the item name on it (to help them begin to recognize the written words with the objects) and place them around the table.
Place all objects in a large tub. Explain that we are going to sort the objects into groups. All of the twigs go in a group, all of the acorns in a group, etc. Allow the kids to sort together. Once they are done, discuss the characteristics that make the items different. What kinds of things could make them the same?

Sorting and classifying objects helps children become aware of how items are alike and different and creates awareness that is vital for math learning - according to Education.com.

Leaf Sequencing Cards

Visit makelearningfun.com through this LINK.  Depending on the age and skill level of the kids you have, print the cards you wish to work with and laminate them, or you can print them on cardstock. Mix the cards up.

Count the leaves on the Autumn trees and look at the number printed on the trunk. Put the cards in numerical order. You can have them put them in order from small to large, or large to small.  This is a great exercise in counting and order sequencing.

LETTER OF THE WEEK

          A for Ant

          We are going to work on short A again this week. Print the worksheet from first-school.com HERE. 
           The worksheet has traceable upper case and lower case A's for writing practice. It also has a few   
           short A words to practice the short A sound!

READING

Your pre-schooler can learn to read! I am a big believer in "sounding it out" so that is how I teach reading. I will be using a couple of amazing FREE websites to help me teach the kiddos...

Each week, I will post links to these sites and which parts to work on at a given time! I will also throw in some some activities as well. It is best to practice reading for about 10-15 minutes per day! Young children will end up getting bored if you try to do too much at once, so pace yourself.

Readingbear.org:  this site is amazing! The story behind it is pretty cool too. Start here...

http://www.readingbear.org/   Click on the short A lesson. Play the video and learn how the short A works in words!


Starfall.com: another awesome site! This site actually has many different lessons. Go play around with it when you have a couple of minutes!

http://www.starfall.com/n/level-a/learn-to-read/play.htm?f  Begin with the Alphabet movie under the Skills section on the right hand side. Then do the "an" and "at" lessons and finish with the "Zac the Rat" story!


Kizphonics.com:  this site has a TON of stuff! Not all of it is free. You can become a member, if you wish.

http://www.kizphonics.com/product-types/phonics-readers/  Use the Man Cat & Rat Reader for this week.



MOTOR SKILLS

Gross: Jumping in a pile of "leaves" 

Since not everyone will have piles of leaves to jump in, and if you do, you probably don't want to rake them up just to have them scattered again, we are going to make a pretend pile of leaves!

Have the kids help pile together some old pillows, blankets, towels, etc. Make the pile as big and fluffy as possible. (you will probably also want to make sure you have a large clear area for safety) Then allow the kids to jump into the pile! Each time the pile is scattered, everyone can help pile it up again.

Fine: Fall Shape Colors

I found this on Pre-kinders.com! Draw some fall shapes, such as a leaf or a pumpkin, on paper towels using a sharpie marker. Provide little dishes of food color and eye droppers.

The idea is to squirt the food color onto the shapes in order to color them. Fun! The eyedroppers make this a fine motor activity.

Go HERE to see the activity on the site!     

MUSIC

Fall Leaves Song

Five little leaves so bright and gay
(hold up 5 fingers)

Were dancing about on a tree one day
(wiggle fingers)
The wind came blowing through the town
(cup hands around mouth and make wind noise)
And one little leaf came tumbling down
(bend down one finger)

**Continue the countdown to one little leaf!



Art/Craft

Art: Fall Trees

Materials Needed -
Grey or dark blue construction paper
Brown construction paper
Red, orange, yellow and brown tissue paper
Glue
Pencil
Scissors

Trace the children's forearm and hand, with their fingers spread out, onto the brown paper. Cut these out. Have the children glue their arm "trees" to the dark paper. For scissor practice, let them go crazy on the tissue paper. You will need lots of little pieces. Once you have your autumn leaves cut out, allow the kids to glue them to their arm trees. So lovely...

Craft - Bean Leaves

Materials Needed:
Cardstock
Sharpie
Scissors
A bunch of different colored dried beans
White school glue

Free hand some simple leaves onto the cardstock. Cut them out. Provide the kids with lots of beans and glue and allow them to create beautiful fall leaves by gluing the beans to the leaf cut outs.

COOKING

Ants on a Log (or a stump!)

Ingredients-
Celery, cut into sticks or bite sized pieces
Peanut butter (you can use a substitute if someone has allergies)
Raisins

I prefer to cut my celery into small pieces. My son likes them that way. So we call them ants on a stump!
Have the kids help spread the peanut butter on the celery, then top with raisins. A healthy snack and it begins with our letter of the week - A!

Direction To Success!

This week we are going to focus on Following Directions! For children in the pre-school age range, this concept can be pretty difficult to master. They are all about exerting their independence and trying to figure things out on their own. While this is great for them, their direction following skills need to be refined. As adults, we follow many directions everyday! To make this fun for them, we are going to act as if we are treasure hunters.

CIRCLE TIME:

What does "following directions" mean?  Ask the kids to wiggle and giggle until they hear you clap 5 times... once they have done this tell them they just followed directions! Directions are a list of things you need to do in order to complete a task. When you follow them, you will complete the task correctly. If you decide to try to complete the task without following the directions, you may never complete it! If you had not stopped wiggling and giggling when you heard the 5 claps, you would still be wiggling and giggling!

SCRIPTURE:

James 1:22 - Do not merely listen to the Word and so deceive yourselves, but do what it says.

I found a fun game to play to help preschoolers understand this lesson! I have linked to it HERE. It is an EZine article by Kathy Vincent. The game is called "Follow My Directions, Please".

It is a really fun game that goes well with our lesson and keeps with the Bible lesson also. Have fun!

LETTER OF THE WEEK:

A is for Apple   

http://www.first-school.ws/t/alpha_tracers_zb1/a2.htm Print the worksheet! Make the "Ah" sound for the kids and say Ah-Apple. Now have the kids do it.

Then have the kids trace the letter. Begin with their finger, then use a crayon. Practice writing the letter A.

Color the apple.

Beginning A Sound Activity

Collect around 10 items from around your house or classroom. 7 of them should be items that begin with A and the last 3 or 4 should begin with a different letter. You will need 2 bowls or boxes. One will be for "A" items and the other for the non-A items. Draw a large A on a piece of paper and an A with a circle and a slash through it on another piece. Label the boxes with these.

Some ideas of items could be an apple, airplane, animal, ant, alligator, apron, ambulance, arrow, acorn, axe, art.

Place all of the objects in a pile. Go through each item with the class. Pronounce each word for them. Place them back into the pile and ask each child to choose an object which begins with "A". Ask them to pick it up, pronounce it, and place it in the correct box. Praise them when they get it right. When they get it wrong, re-pronounce the name of the object again, placing emphasis on the first letter sound. Allow the child to try again!

This activity will really help them begin to hear and see the letter!

READING

Name Recognition - Name Puzzles

This is our last week for this! By now the kiddos should be able to recognize their own names. Some may even be able to recognize a few of their friend's names too!

http://freecoloringpagesite.com/coloring-pics/apple-coloring-3.jpg

Print out an apple for each letter of the child's name. Write each letter of their name on one apple. On a piece of butcher paper, write the child's name with a line underneath it. The idea is for the kids to put their name "puzzle" together by matching the letters on the butcher paper.

Give each child their letters out of order. Give them the Directions and watch them go! Once they have their name puzzle fully assembled, check it for accuracy. Then they can glue them down.

Place these around the room for decoration this week!

SCIENCE

Measuring with Rulers

Here is a great direction following science activity. To prepare, you will need to use a ruler to measure several objects around your classroom or play area. Write down what you measured and your results. Make it easy and only use inches.

Give each child a ruler and show them how to use it. Have them measure a couple of things so that they understand the concept. You don't even need to really talk about the different measurements. If they can handle that much information, then go for it. It depends on how advanced your class is.

Let them know they are going to be "Following Directions"! Pay close attention, because you won't be able to continue the activity until each part is done according to your directions. Ask them to measure the first item with their ruler and then come and tell you what they got. When a child has the correct answer (or close to it) congratulate them and direct them to the next item to measure. Continue this until they have all the items measured correctly!

This activity is a great way to introduce the kids to measurements and also allows them to follow directions!

MATH

Numbered Treasure Hunt!

You will need to make some numbered and color-coded cards for this activity. One set of cards will need to have the numbers 1 - 10 on them, color code however you like. The other set of cards will need to have a number of items on them. You can use stickers or drawings, whichever works for you. You need a card with 1 item, one with 2 items, etc. The idea is for them to find the "treasure" by following the "clues". You will also need a cheap treasure for the kids to find.

How to play: Place the cards with numbers on them around the room. Make sure they are not in plain sight, but shouldn't be too hidden. Next to the number 10 you will place the treasure. By each of the numbered cards there should be the next clue, or the next number they need to find. Depending on the age and knowledge of your class, you can have the numbers in order or in any order you like.

Give the kids the first numbered card. Show them that they need to count the items on their card in order to know where to go next. The number of items on their card will match a numbered card in the room. Once they find the numbered card, their next card with a number of items will be there to tell them where to go next. This way they are Following Directions and also counting!

Apple Counting Mats

Print the mats from Pre-kinders.com HERE.  Follow the directions on the page. You can use red playdough, red marbles, red stickers, or whatever works for you!

MOTOR SKILLS

Fine Motor - Block Building

Build a simple structure out of wooden blocks or Lego blocks. Instruct the kiddos to replicate your structure. Simple activity, awesome results. This incorporates fine motor skills, problem solving, and structure building.

Gross Motor - Follow the Leader

You all know this game! Begin by explaining how to play. Everyone will stand in a line behind you. You say "follow the leader!" and begin to make different gestures. You can wander around the room or your play yard while patting your head, flapping your arms, stomping your feet. Pretty soon everyone will be having a blast and you can let a child be the leader!

Awesome for following directions and getting some gross motor activity!

ART/CRAFT

Art - Simon Says Drawings

For this activity you will need construction paper and crayons. Give each child a piece of paper and place the crayons in their reach. Tell them not to begin drawing yet! The idea of this activity is to Follow Directions! You are going to say, "Simon Says draw a house" and they should draw what yo asked them to.

This is a really fun way to practice following directions and when you all show each other your drawings at the end you can see how differently everyone's picture comes out!


Craft - Apple Tree Following Directions Activity

Fun activity from makinglearningfun.com! http://www.makinglearningfun.com/themepages/AppleTree-FollowingDirections.html

You will need to print a page for each child. There are different levels of difficulty that you can choose from depending on the skill level of the kids you have.






MUSIC

Apple Tree (rockabyebutterfly.com)

APPLE TREE

Way up high in the apple tree

Five red apples smiled at me

I shook that tree as hard as I could

Down came an apple and

Mmmm, it was good!

Way up high in the apple tree

Four red apples smiled at me...

(keep going counting down each apple)

I'm a Good Listener

http://www.songsforteaching.com/intellitunes/goodlistener.htm

Follow the link for lyrics and tune!




BOOKS

http://www.amazon.com/Ten-Apples-Top-Theo-LeSieg/dp/0394800192/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1378832506&sr=1-1&keywords=10+apples+up+on+top#_

Good counting book, plus it is about apples!

http://www.amazon.com/The-Berenstain-Bears-Trouble-Grownups/dp/0679830006/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1378832620&sr=8-2&keywords=the+trouble+with+grown+ups

Not really about following directions, but does give kids great insight into how it can be difficult for parent's when they don't follow directions!



COOKING

Snack Mix

Cooking is always about following directions. Without directions, putting together a recipe is very difficult.

Ingredients:
The BEST part about this is you can really use just about any combination you like!

Cheerios

Raisins

Chocolate Chips

Dried Fruit

Crackers

etc, etc, etc

Directions:

Place each item into a cup separately. Give each child a cup so that each is in charge of their ingredient. Provide a large bowl for mixing. They should follow your direction and add their ingredient when you call for it. Allow each child the chance to mix it up. Portion it out and enjoy your snack!

Cost Effective Grocery Shopping!

My husband and I don't make great money. Since having our son I have taken it upon myself to make our grocery dollars stretch as far as possible to make room for other things. The three of us have to be fed from my groceries since none of us get "free" lunches. My goal is to spend no more than $250 every 2 weeks at the grocery store. That includes all toiletries, cleaning products, food and litter for the cat, etc. I confess that I don't always make my goal, but I get pretty close most of the time. If you want to learn how I do it, keep reading!

Basic Steps for an Economical Shopping Trip:

1.   Shop For 2 Weeks at a Time!

The less you are in the grocery store, the less you will spend. Also you won't have to spend every weekend there. I don't know about you, but I would much rather be doing other things! I only go back for the perishables I need.


2.   Use Cash!

You are less likely to spend more than you are "supposed" to when using cash. The cash is much more tangible than the money on your debit card. Also, do not ever use credit to buy food! It doesn't make much financial sense to have to pay interest on consumables.


3.   Don't Shop Hungry!

It's really true! You will spend more money on last minute impulse buys when you are hungry. No joke.


4.   Make a Sound Plan!

Having a menu and a specific list when shopping will help to make sure you will succeed. Keep reading to learn how I do it...


Getting Started:
Making my grocery list usually takes me a few days because I never have time to just sit down and do it all at once. Yes, this takes time. Yes, it is worth it! Before I worked all of this out, I used to spend nearly $1000 per month on groceries. Now I spend around $500. No joke! Plans are good, they are very good.

First go through your pantry and fridge. Find out what you have already. You may have some stuff hiding in the back of your pantry that is still good and should be used.  Rearrange your pantry so that all the newer stuff is in the back. In the restaurant biz we call this FIFO (first in, first out). I have worked in restaurants for many years and this is how they do it!


Next begin to jot down some things you could make using the ingredients you already have. If you have lasagne noodles, you could make lasagne roll ups. If you have brown rice, you could make fried rice. I like to use Allrecipes.com for recipes. They have some really great ideas on there and they are all reviewed so you can see what other people thought of it. There is also a great website called http://www.myfridgefood.com/ which is awesome if you aren't so great at coming up with recipes. You enter the foods you have in your house right now and it produces recipes using those items! It can be very handy.

Also think about what you would like to have. Write down your ideas. Try to think about ingredients that you have to buy in a larger portion than you will use, and then plan for another meal that will use that ingredient also. I make a ham and potato soup and I buy a Jenni-O turkey ham chunk for it. But we only use half of the ham for the soup. So I also have to plan to make another meal using the other half.

I use the worksheet MEALS to write down the meals for this shopping trip. Print enough for all meals, including breakfasts and lunches.  Write the meals in the circles. The spaces below the circles are for the ingredients of the meals. Use the spaces to list out all of the ingredients you need for each recipe. I don't write down the ingredients I know I already have.

Once you have completed the Meals Worksheet for all of your meals, you can then move on to the LIST worksheet. It may seem redundant, but since I have been doing it this way I haven't accidentally forgotten any important ingredients!

Go down the MEALS worksheet meal by meal and transpose the ingredients from there to the LIST worksheet. Place the items in their corresponding category. I used to make my list by where things were in the store, but then they remodeled my store and I am still unsure of where everything is now! So it makes more sense to put the items in by type. Plus, if you are shopping at multiple stores to get everything, this will make finding things easier for that too.

OK, you are almost done! Now for my favorite part. When my store's (I generally shop at Kroger) weekly ad comes out on Wednesday, I will go through the ad and begin to mark the items I am buying as being on sale!

Notice the colorful boxes on the right side of the worksheet. I color code my list. This makes it really easy for me to decide what will be the best buy for the items in question. I don't just buy things that are on sale. I actually look and see if the item will be cheaper by purchasing a different brand rather than the brand on sale. But this color coded list sure helps me make the right choices!

Sale Items:  I have a red pen that I use for sale items. All items on sale that are on my list I will circle in red pen and then list out the brand and sale price below it.

Any items that are on sale and are not on my list but I may be interested in buying, I will just write in the information under the correct section of my LIST worksheet. This way I know that it is on sale and I can decide while at the store whether I wish to purchase the item.

DID YOU KNOW? The front page of the weekly grocery ad always houses the items that are on sale for 50% off or more!

Special Deals: my grocery store often offers special deals. They have a "Buy 5/Get $5 off" deal, a "Buy 10 for $10" deal, etc. I will use my BLUE highlighter to point out any items on my list that falls into the Special Deals category. Each item that I put in my basket that is part of the Special Deal, I will make a hash mark on the list so I know how many I have. You don't want to get to the register and only have 9 of the 10 and not get the special price!

Once you have everything that is on sale color coded on the list, you can move on to digital coupons!

Digital Coupons: These things are terrific! There is a section of the Kroger website where you can download them directly onto your Kroger Shopper card. When you swipe your card at the register, the register will automatically subtract the savings. Since you don't have an actual coupon in your hand, however, it can be hard to keep track of. The way I am able to manage my Digital Coupons is by going through them and highlighting the items on my list which have a digital coupon I can use. Then I will write the coupon's specifics in pen below the listed item. You can also print out a list of the coupons you have saved to your card. Then you can number them and write the number that corresponds to the coupon below the listed item. Either way works.

Regular Coupons: These are easy! Kroger mails me coupons each week, the register prints them for me, I cut them from the paper, and you can go to web sites and print your own. It is best to keep them in a small plastic file. Organize your file in whatever way works best for you. I like to keep mine by type of food. I don't have a whole lot of these, so this method works well for me.


BEST DEALS:

When you get an item that is on sale AND has a coupon, you have a great bargain! I do not usually buy a bunch of stuff I don't currently need because I don't have a lot of room to store it and I don't have a lot of money. But when you come across a great bargain on something that isn't imminently perishable and you will definitely use STOCK UP! Dry noodles, boxed rice, canned vegetables, toilet paper, and the like are great examples of the things that are worth stocking up on.

MENU PLANNER:

Once you have everything purchased and you are patting yourself on the back for saving so much money you are going to need a menu. Planning the recipes out in advance will really help you avoid picking up take out and spending more money. I use this worksheet MEAL PLANNER. I like to plan everything out ahead of time using this sheet. I will try to plan for a crockpot or freezer meal on a day when I know I am going to have a lot to do. I plan to make meals that have a ton of leftovers on the weekend so that there will be lunches for the week. I'm telling you, planning is a life saver!



I really hope that this information will help someone out! It took me a lot of time, energy and stress to come up with all of this. And it takes a while to get the hang of all of this. But now I am a pro! Here are a couple of my best grocery savings in the recent past:

Good luck...